Voters in Lancashire have their say as they go to the polls

Voters will go to the polls today to have their say in one of the closest-fought elections in years.

The outcome of the General Election is still too tight to predict, with Labour and the Conservatives almost neck-and-neck in the polls.

But experts say Lancashire is likely to prove to be a reflection of the national picture - with some Conservative seats in the county turning red.

Prof David Denver, a political expert at Lancaster University, said: “The national polls are saying it is very close between Labour and the Conservatives and the same will apply here. In each of the swings that the national polls suggest, you would be looking for Labour to make gains in Lancashire and for the Liberal Democrats to be losing.

“Lancaster and Morecambe, both Conservative-held marginals, they really should be going to Labour.

“The big story would be if the Conservatives held them.

“It would be absolutely no surprise if Labour won both seats, it would be a surprise if the Conservatives held them.

“But they might, because of one or two local factors like the Greens in Lancaster.”

Prof Denver said South Ribble, where Conservative Lorraine Fullbrook has stepped down, could turn out to be a “knife-edge marginal”. He said: “South Ribble is a swing seat, that might be like a knife-edge marginal with the way the national polls are going.”

“Prof Denver said he thought it was vitally important that voters had their say.

He said: “I’ve only voted for a winning candidate once in my life, but why do I do it?

“Because I think it is my duty and I always want to have my opinion registered, and I think that’s why people should go and have their opinion registered.”

In Central Lancashire and beyond, politicians are vying for nine seats, while there is a total of 16 parliamentary constituencies in the county as a whole, meaning there are 16 seats up for grabs.

In Morecambe and Lunesdale, Conservative incumbent David Morris will come up against Labour’s Amina Lone, Liberal Democrat Matthew Severn, Phil Chandler of the Green Party, Michael Dawson of the Northern Party, and UKIP’s Steven Ogden.

And in West Lancashire, Labour incumbent Rosie Cooper will be vying for the seat alongside Conservative Paul Greenall, Daniel Lewis of the Liberal Democrats, Ben Basson of the Green Party, UKIP’s Jack Sen and David Braid of the War Veteran’s Pro-Traditional Family Party.

For the General Election picture across the North West, follow our results page here